Air intake device for engines

ABSTRACT

725,363. Intake silencers. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. April 14, 1953 [April 23, 1952], No. 10110/53. Class 7 (2) [Also in Group XXVIII] Resonance chambers 18, 19, 27 of a combined air intake filter (see Group XXVIII) and silencer unit 10 suitable for use on carburetters are located coaxially of a central clean air outlet 16 and sound waves gain access to said chambers 18, 19, 27 through an annular passage 17 formed by walls 13, 14, apertures 34 in the wall 14 and apertures 36 in the base 37 of the chamber 27 which is closed at its upper end by the cover 39 of the unit and is lined with sound absorbing material.

April .23, 1957 w. w. MOMULLEN 2,789,662

AIR INTAKE DEVICE FOR ENGINES Filed April 25. 1952 Inventor I 2/63/9222 fizz/[aw N a Attorneys United States Patent ce AIR INTAKE DEVICE FOR ENGINES Wesley W. McMullen, Flint, MiclL, assiguor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1952, Serial No. 233,947

15; Claims. (Cl. 183-44) This invention relates to intake devices for supplying air to the carburetors of internal combustion engines and particularly to devices for cleaning air and for. silencing sound resulting from the operation of the induction passage of an engine.

It is proposed to build an inlet silencer having an outlet end large enough to accommodate the four inlet passages of a four-barrel carburetor and then to locate an acoustical impedance in the passage through the silencer and leading to the carburetor inlet for cutting down the sound waves that otherwise might pass through silencer having such a large passage leading to the carburetor inlet. It is proposed to employ sound absorbing material in the chamber forming the acoustical impedance referred to and to restrict the communication between this chamber and the induction passage leading to the engine. it. is further proposed to construct an air inlet element leading to the through passage through the silencer element and to confine therebetween an annular dry type filter element to be employed in cleaning the air admitted by the intake element and conducted to the engine through the passage leading through the silencer element. It is further proposed to provide an air supply passage partly around the outer periphery of the air inlet element and from one side of the air inlet element and to supply air from intermediate the ends of said air supply passage to an air distribution chamber surrounding the filter element. An air distribution flange is provided between the distribution chamber and the filter element chamber for equalizing the flow of air from the distribution chamber to the filter element chamber throughout the peripheral extent of said filter element chamber.

in the drawing:

Figure l is a vertical sectional view through a carburetor intake device embracing the principles of the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device illustrated by Figure l with certain wall parts of the. device broken away so that the interior structure of the device may be more clearly seen.

The induction device generally comprises an intake silencer element 11 and an. air inlet element 12. The intake silencer or silencer element 11 comprises inner and outer spaced, concentric and telescoping tubular walls 13' and 14 respectively and forming a through or induction passage 16 adapted to conduct air to the carburetor of an internal combustion engine or to any other device with which it may be desired to employ the inlet device 1%. The inner tubular wall 13 forms the inlet end of the induction or through passage 16 while the outer tubular wall 14 forms the outlet end of the passage 16. The tubular walls 13 and 14 provide the annular passage 17 which leads to one of a pair of resonating chambers 13 and 19 forming the tuned resonating elements of the silencer 11. Oppositely disposed annular walls 21 and 22 of the silencer element 11 have the adjacent edges thereof secured together at 23 and opposite edges secured 2,789,662 Patented Apr. 23, 1957 at 24 to the upper end of the inner tubular wall 13 and at 26 to the lower end of the outer tubular wall 14. The wall 22 is flanged or beaded at 26 to provide an attaching neck or nipple by which the silencer element 11 may be supported on the carburetor inlet with which the silencer may be employed. The outlet end of the passage 16 including the nipple 26 preferably is made large enough to encompass the air inlet opening leading to a four-barrel carburetor with which many engines now employed in automotive vehicles are provided.

In order acoustically to impede the sound waves which may be emitted through the passages of such a carburetor, it is proposed to employ in the induction passage 16 a sound trap or resonating chamber such as that indicated at 27. The chamber 27 is formed by a tubular member 28 which projects into the inlet end of the passage 16 in spaced relation to the inner tubular wall 13. The wall 28 is concentrically disposed with respect to the wall 13 and spaced therefrom to provide an annular inlet passage 29 forming the inlet end of the induction passage 16. The lower ends of the. walls 13 and 28' may terminate in the same plane and a distance above the lower end of the outer tubular wall 14. The resonating chambers 18 and 19 are separated from one another by a curved wall 31 the inner end of which is secured to an intermediate portion of the outer tubular wall 14 as is indicated at 32. The outer end of the wall 31 is secured at 33 adjacent the outer periphery of the bottom part of the wall and in such manner as to form a shallow chamber which decreases in depth from the tube 14 tothe outer extremity of the wall 31. The chamber 19 communicates with the outlet end of the induction passage 16 through peripherally spaced openings 34 which are formed adjacent the lower end of the tubular wall 14.

The lower end of the chamber 27 communicates with the outlet end or the induction passage 16 through restricted openings 36 which are formed in a cap 37 secured in the lower end of the tubular wall 28 forming the chamber 27. The inside of the wall 28 is lined with a wall 38 formed by fibrous or other suitable sound absorbing material. The upper end of the tubular Wall as is secured to and closed by the middle portion or" the upper wall 39 of the air inlet element 12. The inlet element 12 has a lower wall 41 which is spaced from and disposed oppositely with respect to the wall 39. The walls 39 and 41 are formed to provide oppositely disposed flanges 42 which extend toward one another with each flange being formed to provide a part 43 which is concentric and a part 44 which is eccentric with respect to the axis of the induction passage 16 and the silencer element 11. The Walls 39 and 41 are secured to the edges of a peripheral side Wall 46 which is shaped to fit the flanges 42 and is welded or otherwise secured thereto. The wall it: has spaced and inwardly bent ends indicated at 47 and the space between the ends provides an opening 43 which is located. at the middle of the most eccentric part of the parts 44 of the flanges 42. Beyond the eccentric parts 44 of the flanges 42, the walls 3) and 41 are extended arcuately outwardly at 49 and 51 and the beaded edges thereof are secured together at 52. The extensions a9 and 51 of the walls 39 and 11 accordingly provide a curved semicircular. passage 53, the middle portion of which communicates with the opening 43. The passage 53 extends each way beyond the opening 48 and around the exterior surface of the wall. 46. Beyond the eccentric parts 44 of the flanges 42 the parts 49 and 51 of the upper and lower walls 39 and 41 provide a continuation of the passage 53 in the form of tangently disposed inlet passages having ends indicated at 54.

When used with the engine of an automotive vehicle, the inlet device 10 may be positioned on the carburetor of the engine with the inlets 54' directed away from the ensues-2 occupants of the vehicle and toward the direction in which the vehicle may move forwardly. In such position the fan of the engine and the motion of, the vehicle will direct air against the concentric part of the wall 46 where the air will divide in opposite directions and be admitted to the passage 53 through the inlets 54. Hence, the inlets 54 will act as air scoops for collecting the air incident upon the front part of the wall 46 and directing the air into the passage 53 Where it will pass through the opening 48 to a distribution chamber 56 formed within the inlet element 12. The distribution chamber 56 extends around the inside of the Wall. 46 and externally of a concentric flange part 57 of an. inner reinforcing and supporting part 58 of the wall 39. The supporting part 58 is welded or otherwise secured to the wall 39 at an inwardly disposed flange 59 which surrounds the wall 28 of the chamber 27 and around an annular channel 61 which is formed in the part 58 within the flange 57. Between the flange 59 and the channel 61 the part 58 is shaped to provide a seat indicated at 62 and on which is supported the upper end of an annular filter element indicated at 63. The lower end of the filter element 63 is supported in a similar annular seat 64 which is formed in the upper wall 21 of the silencer element 11 and around the inlet end of the induction passage 16.

The silencer element 11 projects into the inlet element 12 through an opening formed in the lower wall. 41 of the inlet element 12. The wall 41 is formed around the opening to provide a flanged channel 66 within which an annular gasket is compressed by a flanged ring 63. The leakage of air and sound through the opening in the wall 41 is prevented by the gasket 67 the inner edge of which is adapted resiliently to engage the outer wall of the silencer element 11.

The inlet element 12 is supported upon the silencer element 11 by the filter element 63 which is resiliently reinforced by interior and exterior walls formed by large mesh wire screens indicated at 71 and 72. The space between the flange 57 and the filter element 61 provides a filter chamber 73 and into which air is distributed from the distribution chamber 56 between the lower edge of the flange 57 and the upper Wall of the silencer element 11. The filter element 63 and the silencer element 11 are compressed between the inlet element 12 and the inlet to the carburetor of the engine by a rod 74 which extends through an opening 76 in the cap 37 and is rigidly secured at the lower end thereof to the body of the carburetor with which the device may be employed. The upper end of the rod 74 projects through an opening in the wall 39 and is threaded at 77 to receive a wing nut 78 by which the elements of the device may be operatively assembled and secured in position on the car buretor.

In the operation of. the device, air will be supplied to the inlet openings 54 from the front part of the wall 46 between the openings and will flow through the supply passage 53 and the opening 48 to the distribution chamber 56. Within the distribution chamber 56 the air will be distributed entirely around the flange 57 by the slight resistance to the flow of air between the lower edge of the flange 57 and the upper wall of the silencer element 11. Thereafter the air will flow through. the annular space between the flange 57 and the upper wall of the silencer element 11 and into the filter chamber 73 at substantially an equal rate throughout the entire extent of the inlet to the chamber 73. After being cleaned by passing through the filter element 63, the air will flow to the carburetor of the engine through the annular space 29 and the induction passage 16.

Sound waves which are directed outwardly from the carburetor inlet will enter the device through the enlarged outlet end of the induction passage 16. In the entrance to induction passage 16, sounds of different frequencies will be trapped in the chambers 18, 19 and 27 which communicate with the passage through openings 34, annular passage 17, and openings 36 so that only a small part of the sound will pass into the cleaner part of the device through the annular passage 29 forming the inlet to the induction passage 16. Of the sound that does enter the air cleaner part of the device, some of the sound will be absorbed in the cleaner element 63 and in the various passages and chambers of the inlet element 12 until the only sound which will escape from the device will be that sound which passes through the inlet opening 48, through the supply passage 53 and outwardly through the inlet passages 54. Since the inlet passages 54 are directed toward the front of the vehicle and away from the operator thereof, it will be apparent that very little of the sound resulting from the induction system of the engine will be audible to the vehicle operator.

1 claim:

1. An air inlet device for carburetors comprising a silencer element having a centrally disposed outlet passage extending therethrough, an inlet element having a centrally disposed chamber formed therein and having an opening in the bottom wall thereof, said opening receiving and said bottom wall telescopically engaging and said inlet element enclosing, the upper end of said silencer element around the outer surfaces of the outer side walls of said silencer element, said inlet element being formed to provide an inlet opening at one side of said chamber for admitting air to said chamber, said inlet element also being formed to provide an inlet passage extending around said chamber from the side thereof opposite said inlet opening and communicating with said chamber only through said inlet opening and intermediate the ends of said inlet passage, said inlet passage having ends open for receiving air toward a side of said air inlet device opposite said inlet opening leading to said chamber, and a continuous annular filter element within said chamber and surrounding the inlet end of said outlet passage and having the opposite ends thereof confined between the upper wall of said silencer element and the upper wall of said inlet element.

2. An air inlet device for carburetors comprising a silencer element having a through passage having the outlet end thereof adapted to communicate with and be supported by a carburetor inlet, a cleaner inlet element having a cleaner chamber formed therein and having an opening in one wall thereof receiving and telescopically engaging the upper end of said silencer element, a filter element in said chamber and surrounding the inlet end of said through passage and having the opposite ends thereof engaging the walls of said silencer and said cleaner inlet elements, and means for clamping said filter element and said silencer element between said cleaner inlet element and said carburetor.

3. A carburetor intake device comprising a silencer element having a through passage adapted to communicate with a carburetor inlet and having an outlet end thereof formed in a lower wall of said silencer element, said outlet end being adapted to engage and be supported by said carburetor inlet, an annular filter element having an end supported by the upper wall of said silencer element and surrounding the inlet to said through passage, a cleaner inlet element engaging the opposite end of said annular filter element and having an opening formed in a lower wall thereof for receiving the upper wall of said silencer element, a silencer chamber element secured to said cleaner inlet element and projecting into the inlet end of said through passage and being spaced in all directions from the inner wall of said silencer element forming said through passage, and means projecting through said through passage in said silencer chamber element for clamping said filter element and said silencer element between said cleaner inlet element and said carburetor.

4. A carburetor inlet device comprising a cleaner in let element having spaced upper and lower walls and side wall means between said upper and lower walls and forming a cleaner chamber, a silencer element project ing through an opening in the lower wall of said cleaner inlet element, said silencer element and said lower wall having sealing means within said opening, an annular filter element disposed in said chamber between the upper wall of said silencer element and the upper wall of said cleaner inlet element, and an annular distributing wall in said chamber and surrounding said filter element and disposed in spaced relation thereto and to said upper wall of said silencer element, said annular wall dividing said chamber into an inner cleaner element chamber and an outer air distribution chamber and tending equally to distribute the flow of air between said air distribution chamber and said filter element chamber throughout the peripheral extent of said annular wall.

5. A carburetor inlet device comprising a silencer element having a through passage therein leading to the carburetor of an engine, an annular filter element engaging at one end the upper wall of said silencer element and surrounding the inlet end of said through passage,

wall means closing the opposite end of said filter element and directing the air supplied to said carburetor through said filter element and said through passage, a silencer chamber secured to said wall means and projecting from within said filter element and into said through passage and having the outer wall thereof equally spaced from the inner wall of said silencer element forming said through passage, a wall of sound absorbing material secured to the inner surface of the outer wall of said silencer chamber, and a perforated wall forming the end of said silencer chamber directed toward the outlet end of said through passage.

6. A carburetor inlet device comprising a silencer element having inner walls formedto provide a through passage leading to the carburetor of an engine, a cleaner inlet element having upper and lower walls, the lower wall of said cleaner inlet element being formed to provide an opening telescopically receiving said silencer element, and an annular filter element surrounding the inlet end of said through passage and having the opposite ends thereof engaging the upper wall of said silencer element and the upper walls of said cleaner inlet element and supporting said cleaner inlet element upon said silencer element by compression of said filter element in a direc tion parallel to the axis thereof.

7. A carburetor inlet device comprising a silencer clement having inner walls forming a through passage leading to the carburetor of an engine, a wall adapted to be disposed in spaced relation to the upper Wall of said silencer element and in opposed relation to the inlet end i of said through passage, said spaced wall and theupper wall of said silencer element having outwardly directed annular channels formed therein, an annular filter element having the opposite ends thereof supported by and filling the edges of said annular channels, said spaced wall having an annular flange disposed outwardly of said filter element and projecting toward said upper wall of said silencer element and terminating in equally spaced relation to said upper wall for equally distributing air to all parts of said filter element.

8. A carburetor air inlet device compirsing an intake silencer element having spaced and concentric inner walls forming a through passage adapted to communicate with the carburetor of an engine, the inner one of said concentric walls being disposed at the inlet end of said through passage and the outer one of said concentric walls being disposed at the outer end of said passage and fornr ing the outlet end of said passage, the outlet end of said inner wall extending beyond said outer wall but terminating in spaced relation to the outlet end of said outer wall,

an acoustical impedance chamber projecting into said through passage from the inlet end of said passage and having wall means disposed in spaced relation to the inner of said concentric walls, said chamber being acoustically connected to the outlet end of said through passage (iii and having a wall closing said chamber beyond the inlet end of said through passage, and filter means for cleaning air supplied to the space between said acoustical chamber and the inner concentric wall of said passage.

9. A carburetor air intake device comprising an inlet element having an annular filter element therein and forming an annular filter chamber and an annular distribution chamber in said intake element outside of said filter chamber, said filter chamber and said distribution chamber being separated from one another by an annular wall forming a restricted communication extending entirely around said inlet element and between said filter and distribution chambers, said intake element also being formed to provide an air supply passage around a part of said distribution chamber and having tangently disposed inlet passages on opposite sides of said intake element and projecting in the same direction from said intake element, said intake element being formed to provide a communicating opening between an intermediate part of said air supply passage and said distribution chamber, said distribution chamber being formed in said intake element in eccentric relation to said filter chamber with the portion of said distribution chamber having the greatest eccentricity with respect to said filter chamber being in open communication with said air supply passage through said communicating opening, anintake silencer supporting said intake element and having a through passage having, an outlet end adapted to communicate with the carburetor inlet of an engine and an inlet end opening inwardly of said annular filter element.

10. An air intake device comprising an intake element formed to provide a plurality of co-axial passage and chamber means including a centrally disposed filter chamber and an intermediately disposed distribution chamber and an outwardly disposed intake passage, an annular air cleaning element disposed in said filter chamber and extending transversely across said filter chamber from one extremity thereof to another, an annular air distribution wall extending partly across said intake element and entirely around said filter chamber and between said filter chamber and said distribution chamber and having an edge terminating in spaced relation to an opposite wall of said filter element, an annular partition wall extending entirely across said intake element and around said distribution chamber and separating said distribution chamber and said intake passage and formed at one side of said filter element to provide a communicating opening between said distribution chamber and said intake pas-- sage, said intake element being formed at the side thereof opposite said communicating opening to provide intake opening means for admitting air to said intake passage to be supplied to said distribution chamber through said communicating opening and to be distributed by said annular. air distribution wall to said filter chamber throughout the peripheral extent of said annular air distribution wall, and an air outlet passage formed in said intake element and communicating with said filter chamber within said cleaning element.

11. An air intake device comprising an intake element formed to provide a plurality of co-axial passage and chamber means including a centrally disposed filter chamber and an intermediately disposed distribution chamber and an outwardly disposed intake passage, an annular air cleaning element disposed in said filter chamber and extending transversely across said filter chamber from one extremity thereof to another, an annular air distribution wall extending partly across said intake element and entirely around said filter chamber and between said filter chamber and said distribution chamber and equally spaced from said filter element and having an edge terminating in equally spaced relation to an opposite wall of said filter element, an annular partition wall extending entirely across said intake element and around said distribution chamber and separating said distribution chamber and said intake passage and formed at one side of said filter element to provide a communicating opening between said distribution chamber and said intake passage and being disposed eccentrically with respect to said air distribution wall and with the greatest eccentricity thereof on the side of said distribution chamber adjacent said communicating opening, said intake element being formed at the side thereof opposite said communicating opening to provide intake opening means for admitting air to said intake passage to be supplied to said distribution chamber through said communicating opening and to be distributed by said annular air distribution wall to said filter chamber throughout the peripheral extent of said annular air dis tribution wall, and an air outlet passage formed in said intake element and communicating with said filter chamber within said cleaning element.

12. .An air intake device comprising an intake element formed to provide a plurality of co-axial passage and chamber means including a centrally disposed filter chamber and an intermediately disposed distribution chamber and an outwardly disposed intake passage, an annular air cleaning element disposed in said filter chamber and extending transversely across said filter chamber from one extremity thereof to another, an annular air distribution 'wall extending partly across said intake element and entirely around said filter chamber and between said filter chamber and said distribution chamber and having an edge terminating in spaced relation to an opposite wall of said filter clement, an annular partition wall extending entirely across said intake element and around said distribution chamber and separating said distribution chamher and said intake passage and formed at one side of said filter element to provide a communicating opening be tween said distribution chamber and the middle of said intake passage, said intake element being formed at each side thereof opposite said communicating opening to provide a pair of intake opening means at the ends of parallel and tangently directed branches of said intake passage for admitting air to said intake passage to be supplied to said distribution chamber through said communicating opening and to be distributed by said annular air distribution wall to said filter chamber throughout the peripheral extent: of said annular air distribution wall, and an air outlet passage formed in said intake element and communicating with said filter chamber within said cleaning element.

'13. An air intake device comprising an intake element formed to p ovide a centrally disposed filter chamber, an

nnular air cleaning element disposed in said filter chamher and extending transversely across said filter chamber from one extremity thereof to another, an air outlet passage formed in said intake element and communicating with said filter chamber within said cleaning clement, an acoustical impedance chamber projecting into said outlet passage from said filter chamber and having walls disposed in spaced relation to the walls of said outlet passage and a closed end within said filter chamber and an open end within said outlet passage, said intake element also being formed around said outlet passage to provide an annular resonating chamber communicating with said outlet passage through opening means formed in said outlet passage wall beyond said opcn end of said acoustical impedance chamber.

14. An air intake device comprising an intake element formed to provide a plurality of axially disposed tubes, said tubes being disposed one within the other and providing an outlet passage for said intake element, a resonating chamber formed in said intake element and having the inner wall thereof formed by two of said tubes, an acoustical impedance chamber formed in said element and having the outer wall thereof formed by the inner one of said tubes, said acoustical impedance chamber being closed at the inlet end of said outlet passage and opening toward the outlet end of said outlet passage, inlet means formed in said intake element and communicating with the inlet end of the annular space surrounding the inner one of said tubes and a filter element within said intake element between said inlet means and said inlet passage.

15. An air inlet device for carburetors comprising a silencer element having a through passage having the outlet end thereof adapted to communicate with and be supported by a carburetor inlet, a cleaner inlet element having a cleaner chamber formed therein and an opening in one wall thereof, said cleaner chamber through said opening receiving and said inlet telescopically engaging and enclosing the upper end of said silencer element around the outer surfaces of the outer side walls of said silencer element, a filter element in said cleaner chamber and surrounding the inlet end of said through passage and having the opposite ends thereof engaging the walls of said silencer and said cleaner inlet elements, and means for clamping said filter element between said cleaner inlet element and said silencer clement.

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